1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an airflow control tailgate to be substituted for the original solid tailgate typically found at the rear of the body of a pick-up truck to enclose the flat bed thereof. The improved tailgate includes a plurality of vertically extending, motor controlled panels that are rotatable between closed and open orientations by which to control the stream of air rushing over the cab and across the bed when the truck is in motion.
2. Background Art
A solid tailgate is commonly provided as original equipment at the rear of a pick-up truck to enclose the flat bed of the truck. Such a tailgate is rotatable from a raised position, at which to block access to the truck bed, to a lowered position, at which to permit access to the bed. With the tailgate in the raised position extending across the rear of the bed, a baffle is established to block the stream of air which rushes over the truck cab and across the flat bed. In this case, the raised tailgate introduces a wind resistance or drag which is known to reduce gas mileage and thereby adversely affect the driving efficiency of the truck. With the soaring prices of gasoline, the added costs that are incurred can be significant when a pick-up truck is operated at high speeds for long distances with the tailgate rotated to the raised position.
One attempt to overcome the problem of inefficient gas consumption is to substitute a plastic or fabric perforated closure for the conventional solid tailgate. The perforations minimize wind drag and streamline the flow of air over and past the truck. However, the driver is faced with the constant inconvenience of having to spend the time and effort to switch back and forth from the perforated closure to the original solid tailgate should the closure tear or when it is necessary for the truck bed to be fully enclosed by walls which are devoid of perforations.
Another attempt to overcome the aforementioned problem is to replace the existing tailgate with adjustable louvers, or the like, that run horizontally across the truck bed to minimize wind resistance when the truck is in motion. Examples of such louvered closures are available by referring to one or more of the following United States patents:
U.S. Pat. No.Date Issued4,165,118Aug. 21, 19794,201,411May 6, 19804,867,499Sep. 19, 19895,516,178May 14, 1996